


A Little Closer to the Heart

by orphan_account



Category: Majo no Takkyuubin | Kiki's Delivery Service
Genre: <3, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adulthood, Baking, Btw comments make my life 8D, Business, Children, Coming of Age, Did I mention there's Ghibli trivia at the end?, Friendship, Future Fic, Girls Inspiring Girls, Innocence, Insecurity, Inspiration, Kiki is a great role model for the kids around her, Koriko - Freeform, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Near Future, No relation to Dola from "Castle in the Sky" LMAO, Osono and Fukuo's Son is named Katsuji, Parties, Pizza Delivery Boy Min Yoongi | Suga, Role Models, Small Towns, Sort Of, Studio Ghibli, Sweet, Talking Animals, Talking Cats, Their daughter is Dola, They were named after Mr. Miyazaki's parents, Timeskip, Wholesome, Witches, city, cuteness, reassurance, uplifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-14 20:23:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14143839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: 18-year-old Kiki wants to grow her business, but self-doubt can be a powerful problem. Luckily, this witch has magic of all kinds on her side.~This is a commission based on "Kiki's Delivery Service," starring Kiki a few years in the future. "A Little Closer to the Heart" gives us a glimpse into an older Kiki's life.I hope you enjoy it! ❤





	A Little Closer to the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and thanks for clicking on my story! This is a commission from Wattpad; I was asked for a story about Kiki's life once she grew up. I was given creative liberty to interpret her future, and I must say: I had a lot of fun imaging what our favorite witch was up to after the original movie ended!
> 
> If you're not sure who Kiki is, check out Studio Ghibli's film, "Kiki's Delivery Service!" It is absolutely fantastic. (But then again, so is everything they make!)
> 
> Without further ado, I hope you enjoy! :)

****

**Seven Years After the Events of "Kiki's Delivery Service"**

A gentle tune from a faraway piano coaxed Kiki from the world of dreams. Her eyelids fluttered as the cheerful melody filled her ears, but it was the colorful light flooding her room that finally brought her out of bed.

Sleepy mewls announced that Jiji's family had awoken, but Kiki was so transfixed on the magnificent sight outside her window she forgot to wish them a good morning.

An enormous blimp with a rainbow pattern flew past Kiki's windowsill, bearing a bright insignia Kiki recognized as one of Tombo's favorite companies. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned over the balcony as far as she could to glimpse the full logo, but it flew on by before she could see clearly.

"Wow, guys, did you see that?" Kiki called out to her fluffy friends, who were performing their early morning stretches.

"The only thing I saw were beautiful koi fish in my dreams," Jiji's eldest son sighed. Jojo was the spitting image of his father when he frowned. "They were so delicious...I had just caught it in my paw and was about to take my first bite when your leg woke me up."

The black cat fixed her with an unappreciative stare, and his fluffy little sister giggled. "I saw that pretty blimp!" Mimi exclaimed. "You always see them flying around the city. The sky's full of them!"

"When I first got here, it wasn't like that at all," Kiki sighed in remembrance as she brushed out her waist-length hair. "I was still learning how to fly when I arrived. I caused quite a ruckus when I flew around the city!"

"Daddy told us about that," Daisy bounced up, full of energy even though it was early. Her soft white body was poofy after a long night's rest. "He said you scared him half to death!"

For a moment, Kiki wished Jiji were here so he could give his trademark sarcasm as she retold the tale, but nowadays he preferring sunbathing with his girlfriend Lily in her apartment. 

The witch opened her mouth, ready to tell them more of her funny stories, but a high-pitched voice squeaked from outside her door. "Kiki, are you talking to the kittens again?"

"Of course I am!" Kiki laughed. "They make great conversation."

The doorknob rattled, but it didn't turn. "All I hear is a bunch of mewling!" The young voice whined. "Kiki, can you let me in? I can't open the door yet!"

"You'll get it soon enough," Kiki assured the little boy who looked at her with sparkling eyes. The smiling child before her had black hair like his father and a chubby body from eating bread and other sweets all day. He had the same sweet smile his mother had, back when Kiki had just moved to Koriko. That smile had relaxed Kiki and helped her feel like she truly belonged. Now she saw it every day on two different faces.

Little Katsuji waddled on chubby legs and gazed at the cats with sparkling eyes. "Good morning, kitties!"

"Do you really have to be so loud?" Jojo sighed, yawning and leaning into a stretch that threw his butt in the air.

"He just meowed!" Katsuji gasped. His little hands grasped at Kiki's violet dress. "What did he say? What did he say?"

Kiki scooped him up. "He wants a little bit of peace and quiet, since it's so early," she explained sweetly, gently bouncing him as she cast an eye around her room to make sure it was clean before she left for the day.

As her eyes roamed over her large room, she remembered her small attic room seven years ago. Now that business was booming, she had been able to fund new rooms to be added onto the Great Pan bakery.

Instead of an attic, Kiki lived in her own room with a balcony filled with plants. She was even able to hire assistants to take calls and help Osono and Fukuo whip up baked goods for the eager townspeople.

One of her walls was full of photos she had taken with various townspeople. Next to the photos was a beautiful abstract painting Ursula made of a cat flying through a star-studded universe with colorful planets. Kiki had pinned Ursula's postcards from cities she showcased her art in below the painting. The most recent one was from three months ago:

 _Happy 18th birthday, Kiki!_ _Is business still booming as usual? I bet you've got your hands full of so many baked goods you don't even have time to eat any of them! Say, have you ever thought of expanding your business? People love your stuff so much, they'd buy anything you like!_

_Wanna know something funny? Sometimes, when I'm talking to people at the gallery, I namedrop you. You wouldn't believe how many people are a fan of the heroic witch of Koriko! Anyway, think about it. There are lots of opportunities out there. Love you, and I hope I'll see you soon!_

_-Ursula_

Kiki swallowed hard at the idea. The postcard had struck a deeply-hidden chord of uncertainty within her.  _Should_  she expand her business? She was growing older. What if there  _were_ lots of opportunities, like Ursula said, but Kiki lacked the ability to recognize them? How many opportunities had slipped through her fingers?

Truth be told, she  _had_  wanted to expand her business into other cities. She'd developed the speed and stamina to make the long journey, but she still had so many customers to deliver to in the city alone. The only way she could pursue these opportunities would be if she hired more people – even  _one_ extra employee would do, but Kiki couldn't afford to pay another person just yet. Plus, her company's appeal lay in the experience of having goods delivered by a witch. 

Dwelling on these thoughts only overwhelmed her, so she tried to avoid the self-doubt that pecked away at her happiness.

"Aw, that's no fair!" Katsuji's adorable, high-pitched voice interrupted her thoughts. "I wanted to give Jojo and his sisters good morning kisses!"

"You can later," Kiki grinned as they walked down the stairs and into the warm kitchen of Good Cooking Pan Bakery.

Delicious smells greeted Kiki's nostrils, and when Fukuo pulled a rack of muffins out of the oven, her stomach growled.

Although Fukuo remained the strong and silent type over the years, he always had a grin to spare for Kiki and Katsuji. He set the chocolate chip goodies to cool on the rack before leaning down and welcoming his squealing son with open arms.

"Here," the baker said, plucking a muffin out of the tray with his glove. "Once it cools down, you can snack on it later on."

"That sounds great! I'll have to go ask Osono what we have planned for today."

Kiki's heart was filled with warmth at the sight of Fukuo throwing his toddler up and down. "More! More!" The boy yelled. His high-pitched giggles almost overshadowed the beautiful piano melody filling the air.

"Where is that music coming from?" Kiki asked.

Fukuo pointed through the window to the living room, where a seven-year-old girl sat before a grand piano. The red-haired pianist wore a green dress in the same shade as her mother's. Normally, she was bright and cheery, but today her face was scrunched in concentration as she struggled to deliver the music with technical perfection.

When Kiki entered the room, the door creaked to announce her presence.

"Kiki!" The little girl exclaimed. In a flash, all the tenseness melted away from her chubby face, leaving behind a sunny smile. The girl hopped off the bench to tightly squeeze Kiki's waist.

The witch giggled as her purple dress bunched up at the snug hug. "Good morning, Dola!" She laughed. "Your music sounds so beautiful. It was the perfect thing to wake up to."

Dola gasped. "Oh no! Did I wake you up? I'm so sorry, ane-chan!"

"It's perfectly fine." Kiki patted her Osono's daughter on the head, taking note to avoid the bright red bow in her hair. Dola had been born a few months after Kiki arrived, so she'd known Kiki her whole life. 

Whenever Kiki got homesick, she thought about how lucky she was to be a part of two different families, and she became happy again. While it could sometimes be tough to be the only witch in town, and expectations could be almost suffocating, just a moment of being with Dola and Katsuji reminded her that she belonged.

"It made me so happy to hear! In fact..." she leaned down and twirled Dola around. "It made me want to dance!"

"Now what are you two doing so early in the morning?"

Kiki turned around to see Osono leaning on the counter and raising an eyebrow at the sight before her.

"Good morning, Osono!" Kiki greeted her.

The red-haired woman smiled and waved. "Today's going to be extra busy today!" She said. "You've got a lot of special orders now that the school year is ending."

"Ooh, how many cakes have you made today?" Kiki asked, taking a bite out of her muffin.

Osono chuckled. "Enough to last me a week! But there's one I'm  _particularly_  proud of. Dola and I worked extra hard on it." She leaned over and produced a giant white box: after years of delivering goods, Kiki guessed it was a giant cake with at least three tiers.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Kiki asked. 

"You'll be able to see it later on," Osono said. She set the cake in a basket and pulled out some red wrapping paper adorned with planes. 

"Really? How?" Kiki asked, setting to the task of wrapping the cake box to prepare it for delivery.

"You'll find out," the redhead said with a mysterious twinkle in her eye.

Dola jumped up and down in excitement. "I really wanna see Kiki's face when she sees the cake!" She cried. "Can I go with her, mama? Can I?"

"That's a question you should ask Kiki, don't you think?"

Kiki's face froze. "I, uh, don't think that's a good idea," she said, trying to be diplomatic as she could. "I don't know if my broom can carry both of us."

"Then I can just use our broom!" Dola pointed to the broom laying innocuously in the corner of the kitchen. "I want to try!"

"Dola, only witches can ride brooms." Kiki spoke quietly to soften the blow. "Even if you  _could_ , I wouldn't know how to teach you...I mean, there are trials and tests a girl needs to go through before she can be taught how to even ride a broom."

"Well, who taught you?" Dola demanded, tapping her foot in impatience.

"My mother," Kiki told her.

The little girl looked up at her mother with wide, excited eyes, but she deflated at the sight of Osona's apologetic expression. "Sorry, sweetie," the baker said. "I'm not a witch."

"Well, can't you  _try_?" Dola begged.

"I'm sorry," Kiki said. "I—I don't know how good of a teacher I'd be. Plus, the tests are  _really_ hard. You might get hurt, especially if you don't have magical powers. And who knows how long it would take–?"

A slamming door cut Kiki off.

" _Heeeeey_!" A young girl's voice shouted from the front door. "Kiki, where are you? We have seventeen deliveries to make by noon alone!"

Kiki gasped and jumped in surprise. "Oh, my gosh!  _Coming!"_

She reached for the cake, but Osono pulled it back. "Come back here when you're not so busy," she said. "I want this to be the last thing you deliver today."

Kiki nodded and scrambled to pick up packages that were due soon. As she ran to  meet up with her assistant and grab Jiji and Jojo to help, she was far too busy to see the heartache painted across Dola's face.

   

As Kiki took off into the sky, the city unrolled itself like like a patchwork quilt of everyday stories rippling with life. Giant, colorful buildings bloomed below her, and when Kiki saw the myriad of buildings lit up by the morning sun, the city of Koriko looked like a living painting beneath her feet.

After seven years, she could never get tired of the salty smell of the sea. She flew over traffic, bringing a suggestion of exhaust fumes and a flurry of people sticking their heads out of cars and joyfully waving at the city's signature witch.

One enormous old car stuffed to the brim with kids her age honked for her attention. "Hey!" One of the boys in the back called out. "Kiki! Over here!" 

Kiki pushed a long lock of raven-black hair out of her face. and waved back "Hey, guys!" She called out. "What are you up to?"

One of the girls leaned forward, her hips placed precariously on the edge of the convertible's door. "We're heading over to Tombo's place for the party!"

"The p-party?" Kiki spluttered. "That's  _today?"_

"Of course!" The driver cut in. "It's his last month in Koriko. We're gonna give him a farewell party he'll never forget." 

The girls erupted in a giggle that made Kiki nervous. If she didn't know them better, she would have suspected their laughs were at her expense. At first, Kiki had been intimidated by their beauty and wealthy backgrounds. Luckily, years of being celebrated at Koriko's witch helped Kiki conquer her insecurity and appreciate how their differences enriched their friendship. 

"We've got a lot of suprises in store," one of the girls told Kiki excitedly. "I bet you've got something special planned! Don't you, Kiki?"

"Uh-oh," Jiji muttered. "Is  _not showing up_  a good enough surprise?"

Kiki ignored his sarcasm. "Um, I sure do!" She said with all the fake enthusiasm of a child who received an package of socks for Christmas.

"What is it?" The girl asked. 

"Umm, I want it to be a surprise for all of you!" Kiki told them, trying to fight down the blush setting her cheeks ablaze. 

"I can't wait!" The driver said. "Looks like traffic's picking up! We'll see you later, Kiki!"

Kiki waved cheerfully as her friends sped away on their old, rickety car. The quieter their distant laughter grew, the more her smile faded.

"Guys, what am I gonna do?" Kiki sighed as she rode her broom over the winds and towards her next destination. "I can't come up with a special gift so late!"

"Chill out, Kiki!" Jojo rubbed his head against her forearm. "I'm sure just being there for Tombo will be enough. It's not like it's a birthday party or anything like that."

" _But,_ " Jiji said, "if everyone else is bringing a gift, you'll look bad in comparison."

"Geez, thanks," Kiki huffed.

Throughout her busy day, Kiki's mind scrambled for gift ideas. Yet she couldn't afford any of the ideas she came up with. As the sun slipped from its zenith in the sky, so did her hopes, until her broom felt as heavy as a ton of bricks when she landed outside the Great Pan bakery.

"Hi," she greeted her assistant, who jerked up from her sleepy position.

"Um, hi, Kiki!" The girl greeted. "Are you ready for your last delivery?"

"There's one more?" Kiki blinked. "I thought we were all done for today!" 

"There's one more," Osono's voice said from around the corner. She emerged from the kitchen with a large basket and the box she showed Kiki earlier in the day. "Why don't you deliver this one and then take the rest of the day off?"

"That sounds great!" Kiki said, trying to smile.

Of course, Osono recognized insincerity a smile away. "Is something wrong, Kiki?"

"I'm just...disappointed, I guess," the witch confided. "I completely forgot that Tombo's going away party was today. I don't have anything to give him."

"Oh, is that all?" Osono chuckled warmly. "Well, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Here, take this. I'm sure that you'll feel better by the time you get back."

Intrigued, Kiki thanked the baker and flew off into the night sky. Before she reached her destination, the soft sound of cheery music welcomed her to a large house lit up with a cheery party.

"Heeeeey, Kiki!"

A tall boy riding a bike with a huge fan burst into a grin so wide it looked comical. Kiki giggled at the sight of her goofy friend Tombo, whose bombastic enthusiasm and questionable fashion taste endured throughout the years.

The moment her feet touched the ground, he pulled her into a big hug. "So glad you could make it!"

"Haha, I'm glad, too!" She said nervously. "Well, I have a delivery for you!"

Everyone was excited to see what she had brought. A crowd of Kiki and Tombo's friends huddled around to watch as Tombo opened the mysterious package. When he lifted the lid, he gasped at the sight.

Tombo pulled out a three-tiered cake with sky blue food coloring, decorated with soft white clouds. At the top tier of the cake stood an edible decoration of a colorful blimp. Kiki recognized the tiny blimp as identical to the one she saw in the morning. Suddenly, she remembered: the logo she saw was the exact company Tombo was leaving town to work for.

"Kiki, this is  _amazing!_ " Tombo jumped in the air and cheered.

"Let's cut it!" One of their friends called out, hunger clear in their eyes.

Laughter rippled through the crowd, and soon everyone was taking a bite out of the cake.

"We can eat everything except this adorable blimp," Tombo told Kiki. He dramatically held it to his chest and sighed. "I'm keeping it with me as a good luck charm!"

Kiki sighed happily as she took her bite, enjoying the party and relaxing as she saw all of her friends having fun and talking about flying. Tombo had loved this company ever since they were kids, and his dream of working with them was finally coming true. After such a hectic day, it felt wonderful to be able to soak up an atmosphere as sweet as the cake on her tongue.

As she took another bite, she silently blessed Osono and Dola for their baking skills.

She felt so grateful, in fact, that she hallucinated Dola's voice.

"Kiki!  _Kiiiiiiiki_!"

The voice grew louder and louder until Kiki saw a little girl running down the hill and into Tombo's yard. Her red hair and serious face woulf have made her instantly recognizable, if not for the comically large broom between her legs. 

The party goers parted to allow Dola to approach Kiki, their eyes trained on the disheveled but determined girl.

"Oh my goodness!" Kiki gasped. "You ran all the way over here?"

Dola gave a proud nod, but above the stoic set of her lips, her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Kiki knew, deep n her heart, that one wrong word would topple Dola over like a house of cards.

The witch smiled and crouched down to look Dola in the eyes. "Congratulations!" Kiki said, placing a reassuring hand on the girl's trembling shoulders. "You've passed the first test!"

Dola's anxious expression shifted into one of shock and joy. "Really?" She exclaimed. "What's that?"

"Determination is the  _first_  thing you need to become a witch. In order to begin her training, a potential apprentice must prove her commitment to witchcraft," Kiki explained. "And I'd say that running through the town with a broom is one of the most impressive shows of determination I've ever seen."

"So, I-I'm ready to become a witch?" Dola's feet shifted eagerly, as though she were ready to jump for joy at any second.

"Not quite," Kiki laughed. "There's a lot more you have to do before you become a witch. But I'm definitely going to train you!"

"Yay!" Dola cried, leaping three feet in the air and launching herself into Kiki's arms. "Thank you, thank you,  _thank you!_  I can't wait to start learning how to fly! Ooh, maybe I can even help you on your deliveries!"

A lightbulb flashed over Kiki's head. "I would  _love_  that! Dola, if you could, that would help me so much!"

Tombo called for a cheer, and before Kiki knew it, she was holding Dola in her arms and introducing her new apprentice to everyone at the party.

In those magical moments, Kiki felt all the doubt and nervousness drain from her. The sight of her smiling friends, the encouraging glow of the crowd, and Tombo's enthusiastic encouragement was enough to convince her that she was on the right track.

Jojo jumped on her shoulder to whisper into her ear. "Are you sure about this, Kiki? It might be tough to juggle teaching with working!"

"Of course it will, but it's worth the risk," Kiki answered him with confidence. "After all, if I never took the risk of leaving home, I never would have come to Koriko or started my business."

Jiji perched on her other shoulder and rubbed his cheek against her face in a rare display of affection. "That's my Kiki," her oldest friend applauded her. "Let this be a lesson to you. Don't let your fears or nervousness control you. You can get too into your head, but sometimes, it's better to make your decisions a little closer to the heart."

    

 **TRIVIA** :

\- Osono and Fukuo's children are named after Hayao Miyazaki's family. Dola is named after Hayao Miyazaki's mother, while Katsuji is named after his father. Originally, I wanted to name them after Miyazaki's children, but he only has sons, and in this story, I had a clear idea of the bakers having a son and daughter.

\- In the original novel by Eiko Kadono, Kiki had long hair. (In the film, they cut her hair to give the animators a lighter workload.) I wanted to give Kiki long hair in this story as an homage to her origins. Thus, in this story, you can imagine Kiki looking something like this:

  

-According to the Disney wiki, Miyazaki said that the original film "touches on the gulf that exists between independence and reliance in Japanese teenage girls."

While the original addressed Kiki's struggles to establish herself as a witch, I wanted this story to address the self-doubt that emerges once one becomes an adult, which I think a lot of people can relate to. (Especially college students, haha!)

\- Another note about Mr. Miyazaki: in the original version, Kiki loses her ability to speak with Jiji because, according to Miyazaki, "Jiji represents her childish side." I personally grew up with the American English version, in which Jiji speaks again at the end of the movie, symbolizing Kiki's re-connection with her magical roots.

I decided to go with the English interpretation over Miyazaki's, because I think the ability to communicate with animals is a precious one that's famous for witches--plus, we still see her with Jiji in the end credits. Plus, what with all his kittens I had the opportunity to introduce more adorable, cuddly characters! I thought it was too sweet of an idea to pass up

\- According to kabalarians.com (which is all about analyzing names), if you're named Kiki, "You are a very patient person and will work hard one step at a time to accomplish your goals."

It also says that the name "gives you an intense desire to be of service to others, it brings out a practical, technical nature, and you become involved in fussy little details that detract from the fulfillment of your greater ideals."

Pretty interesting, huh? It sure helped me tap into Kiki's character in this story!

So, what did you guys think of this story? Please let me know! I can't wait to hear your thoughts!


End file.
